Another Kilt?

[Rubber Soul]

Hi everyone, haven't posted here for a while, but something has been on my mind as of late.

I've been looking into saving up to purchase another kilt, but this will be quite the leap for me, seeing how I am contemplating getting a modern, solid color kilt, probably from Freedom Kilts. I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to kilts, although I think if worn properly, these new kilts can be pretty great looking.

I've talked to the Wizard of BC a bit about this, but I think it's something I'd like to get more input on from a collective group. But anyways, to my problem.

I think it'd be rather challenging for me to wear one of these kilts, on the level of self-confidence in one. I do consider myself a confident person. I'm comfortable around people, I know how to conduct myself, and I understand my strengths and weaknesses, but I'm just not sure if I'd be able to muster up the self-confidence available to wear one of these new kilts. I find that traditional kilts are more accepted, because if people don't like them, they generally understand that it is a traditional 'costume' (I don't like reffering to it as that, but it's how some people see it). With a traditional kilt, even though I think they look pretty great, but the uneducated masses might be quicker to deduce that a non-trad is 'just a skirt', or mistake it for feminine attire. Being younger probably makes this a bit more challenging, as well. I'm still looked upon as 'just a kid', which could easily easily make the situation of having a traditional kilt more challenging.

Anyways, that's the ordeal that I feel stuck in, and I'd appreciate to get some input on it from any of you. If it's tips on how to work on the self-confidence in one of these kilts, motivation, or critique of my outlook, please tell me. I'll greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

[mcnice]

you are right the solid coloured kilts may be a bigger challenge, because they have no tradition or hiytory behind. but i had nobody by now thinking i m wearing a femionien skirt with my modern kilt.

In opposite, many poeple thought my olive Utilikilt was from the scottish army or military purposes. and those modern kilts have often big cargo pockets or other pockets what makes those garments male looking, cause no girl-skirts got pockets.

true that tartan is more accepted becuase of the heritage and tradition story, but i ve to say modern kilts had, at least for me, not a bit more challenge. is just the same for me. and i love both styles.

[Galant]

I suppose it all depends upon how much you can stand upon principle.

I'm new to this whole kilt thing and I came upon it when I stumbled onto the Kiltmen website. Having read the front page article I found the author had a point and it made some sense. That made me curious and so I looked further into it and thought about it a great deal.

I came to the conclusion that men's wearing of unbifurcated garments was reasonable, defendable, and even sensible, depending upon the situation.

The question then came down to style. I have no Scottish heritage, so considered a traditional tartan out. However, having talked a while in these forums came to the position that even a non-Scot like me could reasonably wear a traditional kilt. So that was an option - and as you have said, an easier one than other types of kilt or MUG since it's more commonly recognised. Some members of my own family said that whilst they wouldn't mind me wearing a tartan kilt, they thought the UK's or others looked like skirts.

I haven't yet bought my first kilt, but I'm very close to it and it looks like it's going to be a wool traditional. However, in my mind I am not tied to that type of kilt or unbifurcated garment. I like the style and practicality of the kilt, but I can see myself looking at other options - were I to travel around.

To me it comes down to principle - there's no reason I, as a masculine, heterosexual, non-cross dressing male (I mention those things since for many males they are the areas of concern when considering wearing any skirt-like garment) cannot wear unbifurcated garments. Nor do I only have to wear kilts - they are one type of garment with a specific heritage yet I have no deep ties to that heritage.

I'll start with a trad probably, making it easy on me and my family. My next will probably be a UK (Survival perhaps), and since I love to travel and hike, were I to undertake a trip elsewhere in hot climates with a lot of hiking may consider one of the macabi's. I actually quite like the prospect of enjoying the cultures I will travel to and getting a chance to delve in by adopting the garb now as well as the food, music, people etc.

I know that general discussion of MUG's here is too 'off-topic' but when considering the wearing of kilts that are non-traditional - modern garments - I think the principles apply and are unavoidable; at least in my own thinking. I hope I have not stepped out of line.

[Riverkilt]

Silly suggestions that might help...

Camo kilts...

The UK black workman's for whatever they call "hip" these days...hang stuff from it..

The UK mocker or Steve's new kilt, or any other like them for a clean "slack type" look.... no cargo pockets.

And, of course, hit them between the eyes with LEATHER!...price might be an object, but dang, what a look!

Ron

[Raphael]

I am not sure what the climate is like in Alberta, but average people had accepted solid kilts as kilts. I even been to remote corner of the Vancouver Island and people still think my Utilikilt is a kilt. I get the skirt comment sometimes, but that happens regardless of what I wear.

Don't assume the not-in-the-know people are idiots. Have faith in people.

[caig]

I wear my black 21st Century kilt from Geoffrey (Tailor) in Edinburgh around my local town in England and get no adverse commnts. I think that wearing it in a "traditional" manner may help - with long socks, sporran etc.

I think that once you have ventured out a couple of times your confidence will grow. And you will probably realise that there was nothing to worry about afer all !

Go for it !!

[GMan]

Dylan,

Glad that you are still around.

Now to your quandry, granted a tartan is a wonderful garmet, but so are the solids. Since I have a couple of solids (both Utilikilts), I have never had anyone say negative things about them, unless they were drunk, and they would probably say negative things about the tartan. Many have expressed more how do they get a kilt like that, so it just may be another form of conversation.

As far as confidence, you have it! When one dons the kilt that shows more confidence than anything else. Those that complain do not have any self-confidence, that is why they may say some comments to try to belittle you. When one says anything against you, they just belittle themselves.

Go with which ever kilt YOU want.

[Mr. Kilt]

Dylan...I have 3 tartan kilts that I've worn out many times in Calgary. I've never had anyone made a snide comment or call them "skirts", just a lot of "wow, cool kilt" type comments.

I also have a solid forest green Buzz Kidder canvas kilt. The one time I wore it to a pub I got a "nice dress" comment from a patron, as well as a "I love your skirt" comment from a waitress. I don't know if that's the norm here, as I haven't worn the kilt in pubic since (for other reasons than those comments).

Personally I would love to get a UK or Freedom kilt to wear in place of jeans. It makes more sense to me to wear a kilt like that when doing day-to-day chores and such.

[MDR-V300]

Dylan,
I had the opposite bias when I was first considering a kilt. I didn't want to look too 'loud', and I didn't want to look like I was dressing up. I live in Edmonton - by reputation, a much less 'hip' city than Calgary [but privately I'd debate you over that]- and the very first kilt I wore was solid black. No leather, no metal, nothing 'butched up' about it.
The only comments I got on that first day were all positive and all called it a kilt.

After that, I made myself a tartan kilt and have had people call it a skirt on a few occasions. I find after talking to these people, however, that they [almost] all knew it was a kilt, but were trying to get a rise out of me.

Now, if you were to go with a kilt like Steve makes at FreedomKilts, or like the UK, or a Pittsburgh Kilt, then you have even less to worry about than I did. These are all strongly masculine garments, both in cut and in material, and the only women I could imagine in them would be military women.

Derek

PS: Except for the kilt I've got on order from FreedomKilts, I'm a total tartan convert now. I love the look of a striking tartan [especially one you can talk about the history of].

[Magnus Sporrano]

At the celtic music fest this last weekend, there were a lot of men in kilts (sadly, those kilts probably only come out for special events). A large minority of those kilts were contemporary solid color kilts (lion's share being UK's). I didn't hear a single negative comment about them except fitment issues (length being too long or too short).

The most horrid kilt I saw all weekend though was a tartan kilt. It only went halfway down the man's thigh before stopping. Oh the shame. Oh the horror! I didn't say anything to him but I was talking about it to my wife when the guy came over and started talking to the guy standing right in front of me so he might have heard about it after the fact.